


Love Someone New

by LufwoodEmilius



Category: AFTG - Fandom, All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Chinese Mythology & Folklore, Chung'E, F/F, Family, Family Feels, Foster Care, HouYi - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:36:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29780412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LufwoodEmilius/pseuds/LufwoodEmilius
Summary: So, this fic was inspired by the art by neptuneglowup and was for the All for the Game Reverse Big Bang. They wanted a Domestic Renee/Allison inspired fic and drew art for the couple. (Art is in the fic itself, so check it out!!!) And I was inspired to do a family inspired fic. So I do hope you enjoy.Renee and Allison are the perfect couple. But they feel like something is missing in their life, until a young girl enters their life. Even though things start out rough for the three of them, they soon realize that they need each other. And they all learn that it's okay to love someone new.
Relationships: Allison Reynolds/Renee Walker (All For The Game), Renison - Relationship
Kudos: 3
Collections: AFTG Reverse Big Bang 2021





	Love Someone New

  
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/neptuneglowup

~~

Part 1: Once Upon a Time

“Mama, can you tell me the story of Chung’e?” The girl asked as she crawled into her bed. 

“You’ve heard it so many times by now Mei. You probably know it better than I do,” replied the woman, tucking the young Mei into bed. 

“One more time mama? Please?” The girl pleaded, grabbing the stuffed toy beside her. 

The woman took a seat on the bed, chuckling. From behind her, a man approached and placed a hand on his wife’s arm. He smiled down at his daughter, his eyes crinkling with amusement. The sheer joy on his daughter’s face filled him with happiness. 

“Oh alright, just for you.” The woman leaned over and nuzzled the girl's nose with her own. “Once upon a time, there was a beautiful woman named Chung’e and a strong warrior named Hou Yi. This story is about their eternal love,” she began. “It is said that in ancient times, there were ten suns that rested in the sky, which made all of China hot and made people’s lives difficult. The great archer, known as Hou Yi, was asked to shoot down the suns with his great strength and skills. With ease, Hou Yi took down nine of the ten suns allowing the earth to cool. Because of this, he won the heart of the beautiful Chung’e and they were married within a few days and they lived a happy life.” 

“Seeing their love inspired the Queen of Heaven. She was so inspired that she floated down to Earth and offered Hou Yi an elixir which, if taken, would help them to ascend to heaven and become immortal. Hou Yi took it home and asked Chung’e to keep it secret and to keep it safe.” 

“That is so romantic!” Mei said. “What happened next mama?” 

Her mother nodded and held Mei gently in her arms. “Unfortunately, a villain named Pengmeng got to know this and grew jealous that they had a way to become immortal. So he broke into their home while Hou Yi was out hunting. He demanded that Chung’e hand over the elixir or else he would kill her and her husband.” 

Mei gasped. “Oh no!” she cried. 

“In a moment of desperation, Chung’e swallowed the elixir. Reluctant to leave her husband, Chung’e tried her best to fly to the moon, which was the nearest place to the earth in heaven, thus separating them forever. But, Chung’e is still waiting for her love on the moon so that they can stay together, forever.”

“Just like you and baba!” Mei cried with a smile. 

“Yes, just like me and baba.” The woman smiled and tucked a strand of loose hair behind her daughter’s ear. “Now it’s time for bed Mei.” 

Mei crawled under her blankets and pulled them up to her chin. 

Part 2: Domestic Life 

It was early October, the early morning sun streamed through the white cotton curtains. A gentle breeze blew through the window, making the curtains billow, touching the very edges of the bed. The smell of coffee, from the pre-timed coffee maker, drifted through the air of the four bedroom condo. Slowly, the bodies on the bed began to stir. Renee was the first to open her eyes. She stretched and groaned. As she sat up, Allison finally awoke with a yawn and a stretch. 

“Morning,” she said with a smile. 

Renee returned the smile. “Morning.” She leaned down and gently kissed Allison. The tips of her coloured hair tickling Allison’s face. 

“Is it Monday already?” Allison asked, sitting up, her mess of blonde hair piled high into a loose bun. 

“Apparently,” Renee replied, pushing herself out of bed and making her way towards the kitchen. “By the way, remember we have a meeting today with our Children’s Aid Social Worker to finalize everything for Fostering.” 

“Oh my god, I completely forgot about that,” Allison called as she followed Renee. 

Months ago someone from one of Renee’s Church functions had been talking about how the local Children’s Aid Society was looking for more families to Foster children. Renee, knowing that she had benefited from the Foster system, had immediately volunteered the two of them to take on a child or two. So, they had started the long process of getting approved for becoming Foster parents. And now, the final paperwork was going to be filed and they would officially be able to take on one of these poor waifs. 

“Don’t worry about it Allison, just make sure to meet me at the Children’s Aid building at four and everything will be fine.” Renee smiled. 

“You know, you’re too good for me,” Allison chuckled and kissed Renee on the cheek. 

Renee just kept her smile and pulled down two mugs from the cupboard, pouring them two cups of coffee. Allison, as always, just took her coffee with straight cream. Meanwhile, Renee sweetened hers with sugar with just a splash of cream. 

After the first sip, Renee gave a satisfied sigh and leaned back against the counter, her legs slightly crossed. Meanwhile, Allison rested her head on Renee’s and smiled contently, looking out at their Condo. They had bought the Condo about a year and a half ago. The style was an eclectic mix of both their personalities. Allison had insisted on big and bold furniture. They had bought a large L shaped couch that sat at the far end of the living room, a modern style coffee table sat in the middle of the floor. Meanwhile, Renee had managed to convince Allison on getting stringed lights in the shape of practical light bulbs. She had even found an old tea trolley and brought it in, where they immediately placed their television on. On the walls hung a mixture of Rosie the Riveter and Lichtenstien paintings. It was weird, but it was home. 

“So, is it a cereal morning or a smoothie morning?” Renee asked finally. 

“Smoothie, totally. I have to be at the mall in about an hour and a half. Shopping for Cathy Soo,” Allison said, grabbing the blender from the top of the fridge. 

“The Striker on the LA Archangels?” Renee asked. 

Allison was one of the top personal shoppers for many top Exy Athletes in California and even in states like Oregon, Washington and even starting in Nevada. Allison smiled proudly. 

“You’re darn right. My client, Elizabeth Jones, passed my name along to Cathy. We had a quick zoom meeting so I could get a sense of her style and she told me what she wanted. The rest is, as you say, history,” she explained proudly. 

“That’s great hun,” Renee replied. 

From the fridge Renee grabbed the oatmilk, mixed frozen fruit, kale and yogurt. She piled everything high in the blender and pressed start. With Renee working on breakfast, Allison hurried back into the bedroom and dressed in her usual black leggings, white cotton tank top and a cotton scarf. As she reentered the kitchen, her smoothie was already waiting for her. 

“Thanks babe,” Allison said, taking her cup. 

Renee smiled sweetly and took her own cup and disappeared into the bedroom to change for the day. Out of the two of them, Allison had the more glamorous job. After graduation Renee had done a simple one year program to become a counsellor. And after that, she had moved with Allison across the country and became a Youth Counsellor for the local Church. Her job often included talking one on one with the kids and running a simple Exy program for the group. So, instead of the glamorous clothes that Allison wore on a daily basis, Renee wore light cotton pants and a tank top. She finally pulled on a pair of socks before returning to Allison. 

They finished their smoothies and grabbed their bagged lunches from the fridge. From the living room, they grabbed their bags before making their way towards the front door. Renee slipped on a pair of converse running shoes and Allison slipped on her heels. Now, they were ready to tackle the day. 

Together, they made their way downstairs. It was an easy walk to the Church, so Renee looked to Allison and gave her a quick kiss. 

“See you at four,” she said. 

“Yup, wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Allison replied, kissing her in return. 

~~

Four O’Clock finally rolled around. Renee had taken public transit to get to the Children’s Aid Society. She stood casually in the front of the building, leaning on the wall checking her phone. Eventually, Allison finally made it and parked with ease. She jumped out of the car and hurried across to Renee. 

“I am so sorry babe,” Allison said. 

Renee slipped her phone into her purse and shook her head. “Don’t worry about it.” 

Allison smiled. Renee, ever the saint, she would never change. Allison slipped a hand into Renee’s and followed her inside. They entered a large reception area; the walls were painted a pale blue, photographs of smiling children were hung with care, old looking plaid cushioned chairs, there was a coffee table in the middle of the room strewn with months old magazines. And there was an odd smell that was reminiscent of dried roses. 

“It’s...cozy,” Renee finally said. 

“And that’s putting it very nicely,” Allison whispered beside her. 

Renee tapped Allison on the shoulder before approaching the reception desk while Allison took a seat. Renee smiled and cleared her throat. The receptionist, a dower woman with round glasses, looked up from her tacky Harlequin romance novel. 

“May I help you miss?” She asked, her voice nasally. 

“Yes, I’m Renee Walker. I’ve come with my partner Allison Reynolds to talk to Jasper Hill,” she replied. 

“Oh, you must be his four o’clock. Take a seat and I’ll page him now,” the woman said. 

“Thank you,” Renee said and took a seat with Allison. 

By now Allison was browsing through one of the old magazines, not really reading them, just looking at the pictures. Renee amused herself by answering emails on her phone. Her Church team was well into its Exy season and she had to book buses for their away games. They didn’t have to wait long, someone cleared their throat a few minutes later. 

Renee and Allison both looked up and stood. The Social Worker helping them with the Fostering steps was a young man with plummy brown skin, tall and lean, with friendly pale blue eyes that were almost grey in nature. His black hair was pulled back into a man bun. He wore a pair of black jeans and a dress shirt that was tucked into his pants. The thing that stood out the most was his lime green vest. Allison certainly couldn’t keep her eyes off it, shocked that someone would ever wear something that tacky. 

“Hey Renee, hey Allison, great to see you again,” Jasper said cheerfully as he offered his hand. 

Allison and Renee shook his hand warmly. “Thanks for meeting us. We’re really excited to be at the final stage of the Fostering process,” Renee said. 

“I know, right?” he asked. “Now follow me to my office and we can get the last of the paperwork done.” 

He motioned for them to follow him through the building. Renee and Allison followed silently. The hall that they entered was mostly filled with offices. Most of the doors closed for privacy. Renee held her arms and rubbed them nervously. Memories of her own time passing through halls similar to this one when she was no more than a teenager came flooding back. Memories of herself sitting, with one or two other children, returned. Unfamiliar faces coming and going and adults speaking in nothing but whispers, too afraid to tell her the truth. Renee froze in the middle of the hall and took several deep breaths. Allison paused and placed a careful hand on Renee’s arm. 

“Renee?” Allison asked, concerned. 

Renee winced. “Hmmm?” 

“Are you okay?” Allison asked. 

Renee nodded. “Yes, just...old memories,” she replied. 

Renee smiled at Allison before forcing herself to move. The two silently continued to follow Jesper down the hallway. 

“Hope all is well with you two,” Jasper said casually, breaking the sudden silence. 

Renee managed to continue smiling. “We’ve been keeping busy with work. Allison has managed to get another top client for her business. And I’m in the midst of Exy Season with my players,” Renee replied. “How about you Jasper?” 

“Oh, I can’t complain,” Jasper said with a smile. 

At the end of the hall, they slipped into the final office. There was a simple wood desk sat at one end of the room, with his laptop sitting open. A couple of family photos sat in the corners of his desk. A large bookshelf stood against the wall, filled with books. On the walls he had hung handmade drawings done by his children. He took a seat and motioned for them to sit. Renee and Allison both sat down in the uncomfortable, plastic seats across from his desk. Allison shifted as she tried to make herself comfortable but eventually gave up. There was silence for several minutes as Jasper looked over their file. He finally cleared his throat and turned back to them. 

“Okay, so we have paperwork on your family history, medical history, education, current jobs, references from friends and employers. You’ve passed the home inspections. You’re Foster Care binder is organized and well thought out,” Jasper explained. “There are a few final forms that need to be signed. The first is a waiver promising that that everything will be confidential between me, you and the child. The next form that will have to sign is promising that you have their well being in mind and will assist in any medical or therapeutic expenses.” 

“Of course, no problem,” Renee said. 

Jasper pushed two files across his desk and handed Renee a pen. She scanned the document, nodding occasionally before finally signing the document. She handed it to Allison who did the same as Renee. She scrawled her signature across the document a few minutes later before passing it back to Jasper. 

“Thank you so much for doing this,” Jasper said. 

“Any time,” Allison said, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulders. 

“Is there anything else that we need to do while we’re here?” Renee asked. 

Jasper shook his head. “Not at all. With your paperwork in order, you will be welcoming a teen into your home very soon.” 

Renee took Allison’s hand and squeezed it gently, excited that everything was complete and they would be getting a kid in their home. 

“Thank you so much,” Renee said. “We look forward to meeting the teen.” 

Part 3: Welcome Home

Allison and Renee had spent days setting their condo up for their teen. Since they were unsure of the teens personality they forgoed getting clothes for them. Instead, focusing on getting decor to make one of their guest rooms into a room fitting a teenager. They had spent the week redecorating. Hanging inspiring posters and cloth tapestries on the walls, changing the bedding from its usual plain white to something more colourful. After calling Andrew and Neil, who had their own teenagers to care for, they also picked up a beanbag chair and a simple, second-hand television with a dvd player already built into it. From friends and colleagues they picked up movies that a teenager would enjoy: Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse, Crazy Rich Asians, P.S. I Love You, She’s the Man, 21 Jump Street, Napoleon Dynamite and Sleepover. They also made sure to keep much of the room sparse so that the teen could add their own flare to it. 

By mid-October the room was finally done, and just in the nick of time. By the second weekend of October Jasper finally arrived. He buzzed their Condo and they let him in. This was it. They were finally going to meet their Foster Teen. Their hearts pounded as they waited for them both in the living room in anticipation. Allison nervously paced the room as Renee silently prayed. Finally, there was a knock on the door, making Allison jump. She rushed across the room, followed closely by Renee. Allison opened the door, Jasper’s smiling face beaming at her. Beside him, a young Chinese girl stood, scowling. She stood with a simple duffle bag over her shoulder, reminding Allison and Renee of Neil. The girl wore a baggy sweater with a white shirt underneath and a pair of baggy sweatpants. The clothes obviously didn’t belong to her. 

Renee smiled. “You’re here,” she said enthusiastically. 

Jasper smiled and looked to the girl standing beside him. “This is Mei,” he introduced. 

“Well, welcome Mei,” Renee said. “Please come in, both of you.” The two stepped aside for Jasper and Mei to step through. 

“Thank you,” Jasper replied, walking through the door. He took off his shoes. 

The teen marched in behind him and kicked off her dirty sneakers, the scowl still plastered on her face. Allison waited until Renee shut the door before following Jasper and Mai into the living room. Allison soon branched off into the kitchen while Renee took a seat with their guests. She smiled. 

“Allison and I are so excited to have you here Mei. Please know that we will be here to support you no matter what,” she said. 

There was a moment of silence as Jasper and Renee waited for Mei to respond. Mei only sat back with her arms crossed, eyes gazing in her lap. 

“While we wait for Allison to bring in the snacks, would you like to tell me a bit about yourself Mei? What do you like to eat? What kind of things do you like to watch?” Renee asked. 

Again, Mei didn’t respond. Jasper turned his gaze to her. “Go on Mei,” he encouraged. 

Mei rolled her eyes. “My name is Mei Wong, I’m 14 years old. I like to eat food and I like to watch movies,” she said. 

Renee nodded in acknowledgement. “Well, we certainly can provide all of that here,” she replied. 

It was clear that getting a more detailed answer was going to have to wait until Mei trusted them more. Allison finally brought in a tray of refreshments. Three coffees and a can of soda were on the tray, as well as a small plate of cookies. She laid everything out on the small coffee table. In silence, everyone prepared their coffee and took a cookie. Mei stared blankly at the soda sitting in front of her. Allison glanced at Mei and cleared her throat. 

“You want something else Mei? We have tea, water, juice,” she said. 

“No,” Mei replied. She placed a single foot on the table and looked away. 

“Alright, well, let me know if you want anything,” Allison said. 

Renee placed a hand on Allison’s leg. “How about you show Mei to her room. She would probably love to get settled and maybe put some of her own decorations up,” she said with a smile. 

Allison nodded and got to her feet. “Right this way.” 

Jasper nudged Mei with a smile and motioned for her to follow. Begrudgingly, Mei grabbed her bag and followed Allison quietly down the hall. Allison opened the door and gestured to the room. 

“So, what do you think?” She asked. 

Allison was quite proud of the fact that they were able to design a teenagers room in the short time they had. It was stylish, it was welcoming and it was fabulous. She glanced at Mei with a casual smile. After a moment of taking in the room, Mei smiled and dropped her bag onto the floor. 

“Thank you, this is really nice. Beats sleeping in one of the bunk beds at my last placement,” Mei replied. 

Allison smiled. “Take some time to get yourself comfortable. Let us know if you need anything, we’re just in the other room,” she said. 

“Sure, thank you,” Mei said and took a seat on the bed. 

Mei pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms tightly around them, before burying her face into her lap. Allison couldn’t help but feel bad for Mei. She couldn’t even imagine what it was like for Mei to be in this situation. Until she joined the Foxes, she always had a place to stay. She turned on her heels and walked down the hall. By the time Allison returned Jasper and Renee had finished the snacks, and were now nursing their coffees. She took a deep breath and took an elegant seat next to Renee. 

“Mei certainly is..” Allison paused, trying to find the right words. “Quiet.” 

Jasper nodded sadly and placed his hands in his lap. “Mei’s been through a lot,” Jasper said. “Her mother died a few years ago, she was eight. Her father managed to take care of things for a while. But about six months ago we got a call from Mei’s school saying that she constantly was absent from school and when she did show up she was underdressed, underfed and not prepared for class. We soon learned that her father had made the sudden decision to return China for business and left her behind where she had to fend for herself. We immediately took her in and contacted the father, we couldn’t get a hold of him,” he explained. 

It was scary how familiar that story was for Renee and Allison. 

“Is there anything that we can do to help make her stay more comfortable?” Renee asked. 

“Knowing Mei, she will most likely become reclusive and won’t engage much with you for the first little bit. That’s normal for a Foster Child in her situation. Let her know that she is welcome to her emotions and ask her questions about how you can help her. Do not let her get away with any bad behaviour that may arise and reward her good behaviour,” Jasper explained. “Get to know her as a person rather than a child.” 

“Understood,” Renee said. “We’ll do our best.”

“I know you will, from what I heard about the both of you, I’m sure that you can provide a safe and caring environment,” Jasper said. “Now I best get going, I’m still on the clock.” 

“Of course,” Renee replied.

The three of them got to their feet and walked to the front door. 

“We’ll come back in, about a week, for a check-in with Mei. See how things are going,” Jasper said. 

Renee nodded with a smile. “Sounds good Jasper, we’ll see you then.” 

They all shook hands. Renee and Allison watched Jasper walk down the hall for a moment before closing the door. They looked at each other, Allison smiling nervously at Renee. 

“Should I start dinner?” Renee asked. 

“Please, and I think I’ll get a big bottle of wine,” Allison added and grabbed her car keys and purse. 

~~

That night, Allison, Renee and Mei all sat awkwardly around the dinner table. Renee had made spaghetti with a homemade bolognese sauce with ground beef. Renee had even included a small side salad for everyone. Meanwhile, Allison had gone out and picked up a bottle of Pinot Noir and poured both her and Renee a glass. Mei, meanwhile, had a glass of soda. Mei sighed loudly as she pushed her meal sadly around on her plate. Renee glanced meaningfully at Allison. She knew that look all too well from her time with the Foxes and when she was in Foster Care. What Mei was going through was rough and she would need a lot of patience and understanding.

“So, Mei, tell us what kinds of things do you like to do in your spare time?” Renee asked, trying to break the ice. 

Mei shrugged and leaned her cheek into her hand. “I don’t know.” 

“Do you like music? Art? Television? Sports?” Renee asked. “Allison and I both played Exy for the longest time when we were in high school. We even played for a University team. Have you heard of the Palmetto Foxes?” 

She didn’t reply. Instead, Mei seemed disinterested in everything that Renee said. This was a lot harder than Renee imagined. Despite the difficulty, Renee kept her smile. 

“This is a lot to take in Mei. It’s totally understandable that you’re not ready to talk yet,” Renee said. 

Mei placed her fork down beside her and looked sadly up at Renee and Allison. “May I be excused? I’m not that hungry anymore.” 

Mei hadn’t even touched her meal. Though Renee didn’t want to have her go hungry, there was no point in trying to push her to eat. 

“Of course Mei, we’ll leave your meal covered on the counter when you want to eat,” Renee said. 

The chair scraped along the floor as Mei got up to her feet. As she turned, she wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes. Before Renee and Allison could say anything Mei rushed out of the kitchen. The sound of the door shutting behind her could be heard down the hall. Renee and Allison glanced at each other again. Renee reached out and took Allison’s hand. 

“We’re doing the right thing,” she said. 

~~

The next few weeks were hard as the three of them got adjusted to their new living situation. Mei still hadn’t really talked to them except for the basics, despite the two of them asking her questions. Renee was desperately trying to engage Mei and wanting to be her friend. Meanwhile, Allison was beginning to get frustrated with Mei’s reclusive attitude. Allison respected that Mei needed time to get adjusted. But now she was beginning to feel like Mei was ungrateful of the things they were doing for her. Not like she would admit that at their regular Social Worker visits.

Finally, Thanksgiving arrived and Renee and Allison both had time off from work and Mei didn’t have school for several days. The time off would, hopefully, be healthy for the three of them. To help celebrate their time as a family unit, and to celebrate the time off, Renee and Allison had decided to make a special Thanksgiving dinner by researching traditional Chinese dishes. And a couple days before Thanksgiving they collected the ingredients needed for a Hot Pot. They collected two different broths, various spices they could use as flavour, different meat and vegetables they could dip into the Hot Pot. In addition, they also picked up ingredients for homemade dumplings they could steam and items to make spring rolls. Finally, they also picked up a bottle of rice wine they could share with Mei as a special treat for her. 

When Thursday morning finally arrived, Mei shuffled tiredly into the kitchen to find Renee and Allison standing at the counter over their mountains of ingredients. She stood at the kitchen door and blinked. 

“Uh...what’s going on?” she asked. 

Renee turned and smiled. “Good morning Mei.” She placed the knife down and wiped her hands on her apron. “Well, we thought that instead of the traditional Thanksgiving meal we usually have, we were going to make a traditional Chinese meal.”

Mei took a deep breath in and closed her eyes. “Is that...ginger and anise?” She asked, before approaching the counter. 

“Sure is,” Renee said and stepped aside. “We have everything for a Hot Pot, dumplings and spring rolls. We thought we would surprise you with this special meal.” 

“That’s…” Mei paused and looked at the ingredients on the counter. Tears welled up in her eyes. “Really great. I truly appreciate it.”

Renee and Allison both smiled. Finally, a breakthrough. Renee placed a hand on Mei’s shoulder. 

“We’re more than happy to do this for you. That’s what people do for each other,” she said. 

Mei looked at Renee with shock. There was a moment of silence as Mei tried to find the right words to express what she was feeling. She gulped. “Thank you,” she said finally. 

Part 4: The Truth

Thanksgiving soon turned into Christmas. Since the Thanksgiving holidays, and the unusual dinner they had, things seemed to have settled for Mei, Renee and Allison. Mei seemed more calm and more willing to talk with the two older women. She even smiled a lot more. And now with Christmas break under way, joy seemed to fill the entire condo. 

“Renee!” Mei dramatically whined, collapsing onto the couch next to Renee. “Can we watch Christmas at Pemberley Manor?” She asked. \

Before Renee could answer, Allison strode into the living room, carrying a tray of hot chocolate and Christmas goodies from a nearby bakery. To get into the Christmas spirit Allison wore a tasteful forest green sweater and a pair of black leggings, along with a pair of knit slipper socks. At the mention of the movie, her smiling face turned into a scowl. 

“No way, we’re not watching a shitty Hallmark Romance Christmas movie,” she growled as she set down the tray on the coffee table. 

“Why not?” Mei asked, rolling onto her stomach. 

“Cause I refuse to give into Hallmark’s cookie-cutter idea of what Christmas or romance should be,” Allison replied. 

“Then what movie would you want to watch?” Mei asked. 

“Miracle on 34th Street, Home Alone or, if we have to watch a stupid Christmas movie, Elf,” Allison said, taking a seat next to Renee. 

She reached for two mugs of hot chocolate and offered one to Renee. Allison brought the cup up to her mouth and drank deeply. 

“Those are all old people movies!” Mei whined. 

Allison nearly choked on her drink. “Old people movies?” she asked, placing her drink on her knee. 

“Define an old person movie,” Renee chuckled. 

Mei shrugged. “I don’t know, like, movies you two grew up on. I mean, you two are like, so, old school,” she explained. 

“Great to know that I am now in the same category as my parents,” Allison mumbled as she took another sip of her drink. 

Renee gave Mei one of her smiles. “Let’s, at least, try one of Allison’s movies, okay? Why not Elf? I think it’s on Netflix.” 

“Fine,” Mei replied unamused as she took her own mug of hot chocolate from the tray. 

Renee reached for the remote and set the movie up. As Renee got settled back onto the couch, Allison curled up her legs and leaned against her. Instinctively, Renee’s arm wrapped around Allison’s shoulders. Mei’s gaze briefly moved from the movie to the two on the other couch. Renee looked to Mei, who immediately turned her gaze away. 

“You can come here too, if you want Mei,” Renee said, patting the spot next to her. 

Mei paused for a moment before shuffling over to the other couch. She took a seat next to Renee and, also, rested her head in her lap. Renee smiled down at Mei, stroking her head gently. This was the first time Mei had shown this kind of affection and Renee felt a sense of pride that the girl was finally opening up to them. 

When the movie finally ended and the cookies and the hot chocolate finished, it was time to think about dinner. As always, they made dinner as a group. 

“So, what are you thinking for dinner tonight?” Allison asked. 

“How about a kitchen sink Chinese stir fry?” Renee suggested, taking the dirty dishes into the kitchen. 

Mei nodded enthusiastically. “That sounds delicious. And I think we have left over dumplings from our take-out a couple nights ago,” Mei added with a huge smile. 

Renee nodded and placed the dishes into the dishwasher while Allison opened the fridge. From inside, she grabbed broccoli, carrots, celery, green onions, peppers and a large package of tofu and placed it on the counter. Mei slipped in under Allison’s arms and grabbed the take-out container half full of dumplings and placed them beside the vegetables. Meanwhile, Renee grabbed a large pan from one of the drawers and placed oil into it. 

Now that they were prepared, they all knew what their jobs were. Renee was the better chef of the three of them, so she primarily did the cooking, while Allison carefully prepared all the ingredients. Mei was responsible for grabbing anything extra that was needed, as well as, setting the table for dinner. Together, they made a solid cooking unit, while also having fun. Laughter filled the room as they cooked the entire time. 

Just as they were sitting down to dinner, Mei’s phone buzzed. Allison and Renee had a “no phone during meals” rule and Mei respected that. So, she ignored it. When her phone buzzed again, Allison and Renee raised their eyebrows. She knew the rule but she had to take it. She smiled awkwardly and pulled her phone out. It was a text from her father. She stared at her phone as she looked at the name on the display, scared about what it might say. 

“Is everything okay?” Renee asked. 

“It’s…” Mei paused. “My dad, he texted me.” 

There was an awkward silence at the table as Mei continued to stare at her phone. 

“Have you read it yet?” Allison asked worriedly. 

Mei shook her head, tears springing to her eyes. She was too nervous to open the text and read it. Her hands tightened around the phone, her eyes shut firmly as she felt tears roll down her cheeks. Her father had abandoned her months ago and now he texted her as if nothing had happened. That was unfair and cruel. 

“Do you want to read it?” Renee asked. 

“Yes….and no,” Mei replied. 

“What’s going through your mind right now?” Renee asked again. 

“This is all so overwhelming,” Mei admitted. “I feel...I feel...betrayed, angry and sad because my father clearly left me. No explanations! He just told me to behave and take care of myself for a little while. But there’s still this tiny feeling of hope that maybe he’s returned for good and we can be a family again,” she explained. 

Renee nodded. Jasper had told them that Mei would be going through a lot of emotional turmoil while staying with them. She reached out her hand. Mei instinctively took it and squeezed it gently. 

“Thank you for telling us this Mei. Is there anything we can do to help you?” Renee asked. 

“I don’t know. I think right now I need to be left alone,” Mei replied. “May I be excused?” 

“Of course,” Renee said and sat back.   
  
Renee and Allison watched as Mei placed her plate on the counter before shuffling sadly back to her room. The door to her room shut behind her. Renee and Allison looked understandingly at each other. Renee squeezed Allison’s hand and sighed. They both knew exactly how Mei felt currently. They had gone through similar situations before at her age. It wasn’t until they joined the Foxes that they finally were able to overcome their issues and become confident in themselves. 

Allison was silent for a moment before slamming her hand on the table, making everything rattle. “What gives him any fucking right to just contact her out of the blue when he clearly abandoned her?” she snapped. 

Renee stared sadly at the table as she replayed Mei’s sadness in her mind. It was the same feeling she had when she realized that her birth mother had abandoned her before she was adopted by Stephanie Walker. And for the first time she found herself unable to be her usual perky self. She clenched her pant leg tightly as she fought back tears. 

Renee pushed away a tear. “I’m uh...going to call Jasper. He needs to be notified about what happened,” she sniffed and pushed away from the table. 

Dinner had now been completely ruined because of Mei’s idiot father. Allison growled as she decided to clean up. It didn’t take long to put everything into containers and into the fridge. So, Allison decided to leave the house. As she left she saw Renee sitting on the living room couch, the phone pressed to her ear. 

~~

The phone rang for what seemed like an eternity. Renee closed her eyes, praying that Jasper would pick up his cellphone. When she heard the familiar sound of the call being received her heart felt lighter. 

“Jasper Fanshaw, what’s up?” came his familiar voice. 

“Jasper, I’m so glad that you picked up your phone. It’s Renee,” she replied. 

“Oh, hey Renee, it’s unusual for you to call me, especially at such a late hour. Is everything alright with Mei?” he asked. His voice sounded concerned. 

Renee was silent for a moment. “Not really,” she finally said. “Nothing physically happened to Mei. But…” 

“Renee, what’s going on?” Jasper insisted, his voice calm but firm. 

“Mei’s father returned from China, we’re not sure when, but he texted Mei today. She hasn’t read the texts, so we're unsure what they say. But we know that this has caused her a lot of unneeded stress,” Renee explained. 

There was another silence on the phone. Jasper cleared his throat a few minutes later. 

“Thank you so much for informing me Renee. Me, and the rest of the Children’s Aid team, will be taking the next steps to ensure Mei’s safety,” Jasper explained. 

“Thank you so much Jasper, you know that Allison and I want to ensure Mei’s safety,” Renee said. 

“I know you do Renee,” Jasper said. “And how are you feeling right now, Renee?” he asked. 

Renee sniffed and wiped away tears from her eyes. “I’m not doing too well right now. Seeing Mei in that much pain really hurts me because it reminds me of when I was in the system myself. I was going through the same feelings as she was,” she explained. “I mean, of course, I’ll put my own feelings aside in order to be supportive of Mei. I just am having a hard time.” 

“I can tell that you are having a lot of emotions right now. And I appreciate you being honest with me Renee. And I continue to appreciate how you’re willing to put your own feelings aside in order to help Mei,” he replied. “Together, we will help Mei get through this rough patch. I appreciate everything that you are doing for her. Now, please take care, and I will handle things on this end.” 

Renee smiled. “Thank you so much again Jasper, I should probably get going and make sure that things run smoothly on my end.” 

“Of course,” he replied. 

Renee hung up the phone and pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them tightly. 

~~

Hours passed and Mei continued to stare at her phone. The thought of her father’s text running through her mind. Eventually, she heard the door to the other bedroom shut as Allison and Renee went to bed. She sighed, placing her phone beside her, and sat up, rubbing her now puffy eyes from her tears. 

Her phone buzzed again as a new text, from her father, appeared on her screen. She tensed and clenched her fists on her blankets. She took a sharp, deep breath. She figured that she couldn’t avoid her father forever. She needed to get this over with. Mei pulled her legs up, picked up her phone and opened her text messages. 

The first text read like this: 

_**Today 6:30:** Mei, I’m back from my trip from China. I have big news. I was hoping that we could see each other and talk. _

Another text came right after: 

**_Today 6:31_** : _Get back to me as soon as you get this._

**_Today 10:45_ : ** _Mei, I am so sorry that I left you all those months ago. Please get to me when you’ve received this message._

And that was the end of his text messages. A small smile spread across her face as she reread the text messages. Her father wanted to see her. Of course, Mei couldn’t make any promises without talking it over with Renee and Allison first. But she figured that they wouldn’t have any problems with her seeing her father. She sent a quick text back. 

_Let me get back to you on that Baba._

With that, she placed her phone on the side table and went to get ready for bed. Her heart feeling a bit lighter compared to before. 

~~

The next morning Mei entered the kitchen where Renee and Allison were already sitting at the kitchen table with their morning coffee. She took a seat and smiled at them. 

“Good morning Mei,” Renee said with a smile. “Sleep well?” 

“I did Renee and I have some good news,” she said. 

Renee and Allison gave each other looks. Whatever her news was, it probably wasn’t _good_ news as Mei put it. But they would let her speak. They returned their gazes to Mei. 

“What’s up Mei?” Allison asked, taking a sip from her coffee. 

“My baba has some big news and wants to meet me!” Mei cried. “Isn’t that amazing?” She sat back happily. 

“Yes, amazing,” Allison replied slowly and looked over to Renee with a concerned look. 

Renee sighed and took Mei’s hand. “Allison and I are both happy for you Mei, but are you sure that’s such a wise idea?” Renee asked. 

Mei paused, her smile slowly disappearing. Her hands clenched into balls on the table. “Of course it is! He’s my baba! He wants what’s best for me!” 

“Oh totally, it’s just that…” Renee could see Mei easily losing hope. So, she paused and thought carefully about her next choice in words. Seeing Mei’s disappointed face made Renee realize that she didn’t have the heart to really tell Mei that Jasper was going to handle her father. Her main concern was to make Mei feel as supported as possible. 

“You know what? You’re right. This is great news Mei. How about the three of us go and see him? That way, we can get to know each other.”

“Really? You’d that?” Mei asked excitedly. 

“Yes, of course,” Renee said. “Right Allison?” 

“Oh yeah, totally,” Allison added. 

Mei’s smile returned. “Great! We can go after breakfast as a surprise! He’ll be so excited!” She cried. 

She grabbed a muffin from the middle of the table before bounding out of the kitchen to get changed. Allison and Renee exchanged worried glances again. Deep down they knew that going to see her father was a bad idea. But, they also wanted to support Mei as much as possible. 

~~

After finishing a quick breakfast and cleaning the dishes, Allison, Renee and Mei were ready to go. The three of them slipped on their light winter gear and winter boots before each grabbing their bags from the hall table. Mei was the first to the door, waiting eagerly for Renee and Allison to join her. When she saw them approach, she opened the door and ran out into the hallway and pressed the down button for the elevator. 

Allison was the first to join her. She glanced at the smiling Mei and couldn’t help but smile in return. She leaned in and narrowed her eyes. 

“Mei, are you wearing...makeup?” Allison asked. 

“Yeah, someone donated it at Children’s Aid, no one else wanted it and I was curious,” she replied. 

“Why haven’t you worn it before?” Allison said. 

Mei shrugged. “I guess I never really had the occasion to wear it,” she said. 

“Well, you look very pretty,” Allison said. “Oh wait, idea!” She pulled out her phone and motioned for Renee and Mei to join her. “Selfie!” 

Renee and Mei squeezed in with Allison and smiled up at the camera. They heard the camera click, as their faces became forever frozen. Allison’s smile widened as she turned the picture into her lock screen. There was a light _ding_ as the elevator finally arrived. 

On the way down to the parking lot Mei jittered excitedly. She was finally going to see her father after him being away for months. And soon, they were going to be a family again. No more living in foster care. She smiled the entire way to the car.

Mei was the first in the car and draped her arms over the front seats as Allison and Renee slipped in themselves. “You know what I’m going to do first with my father?” She asked. Without even waiting for an answer she continued, “I’m going to make us a huge hot pot for dinner and I’m going to introduce him to that Christmas movie we watched yesterday, Elf.” 

“That sounds lovely,” Renee replied.

“I know, right?” She said and flopped back into her seat. “I’m so excited to see him again!” 

Allison took a deep breath in and started the car. Renee punched the address into the GPS on her phone and placed it into the holder. The two glanced at each other one last time before turning their attention to the road. They both hoped that things went well between Mei and her father, for her sake. She didn’t need any more heart break. 

As they drove, Mei sat impatiently in the back. The car ride was taking _forever_. And, like a child, Mei asked Allison if they were there yet, every few minutes. It finally got on Allison’s nerve and she turned on the radio in hopes to drown out Mei’s constant persisting. It didn’t. Mei continued asking until they finally turned the corner onto her street. An excited squeal protruded from Mei’s mouth and she clapped her hands. 

Allison stopped the car in front of the house where they noticed a car in the driveway and the front porch light on. The house was a modern, two storey house. The entire exterior was made of white painted wood and had a beige, tiled roof and a brick chimney along the side. Surrounding the house were large, boxed shaped, bushes and a large tree, with a swing, on the front lawn. On the door there was a red tapestry with golden Chinese characters. Home sweet home. Mei unbuckled herself and took an excited breath in. This was it. Renee and Allison turned. 

“You still want to do this?” Allison asked. 

Mei nodded. “Sure do. Let’s do this!” 

Mei scrambled out of the car and dashed across the street before waiting for Allison and Renee to join her. Before leaving the car, Renee placed a hand on Allison’s shoulder. 

“Whatever happens today, we’re here for Mei,” Renee said. 

“Yeah,” Allison replied.

They slipped out of the car and joined Mei on the sidewalk. The three of them soon approached the porch when a light from the living room turned on. Mei froze and watched as her father entered. He still looked the same. He turned and smiled at someone in the hallway. A moment later a woman stepped into the living room, followed by a young boy. 

A gasp escaped Mei’s lips. Who was this new person in the house with her father? _Her_ father? Her mother passed away six years ago. How could he have moved on so quickly? She hadn’t!

Allison and Renee followed Mei’s gaze. Their hearts stopped as they saw who was in the living room. Renee reached out and placed a hand on Mei’s shoulder. 

“Mei, I’m so…” she started.

She couldn’t even finish her sentence. Mei brushed Renee off and ran down the street. Allison watched Mei leave, her hands clenched into fists. She was about ready to beat the shit out of Mei’s father. Angrily, she began to approach the porch, ready to give the man a piece of her mind, when Renee stopped her. 

“No Allison, we promised that we would be there for Mei, and that’s what we’ll do. Besides, Jasper is going to handle this,” she said. “You go start the car, I’ll call Jasper while I try and get Mei.” 

Allison nodded and returned to the car while Renee jogged down the block. On her way to look for Mei, she called up Jasper. Again, it felt like an eternity before Jasper picked up the phone. 

“Renee, what’s wrong?” Jasper said. 

“It’s Mei, Allison and I stupidly thought it would be a good idea to go see her father. And it didn’t turn out quite how she wanted. She took off, I’m on my way to find her now,” Renee explained. “I know that doing this will probably put red flags on our file and I’m really sorry. That was a stupid move on our part,” she cried. 

“Thank you for contacting me, Renee. We are on our way to arrest the father now. As for you, Renee, that was a poor judgement on your part. We will be interviewing you, Allison and Mei to see if your family is still a good fit for Mei,” Jasper replied. 

“Of course Jasper, I completely understand,” Renee replied. “We will await your visit.” 

Renee hung up the phone and slipped it back into her pocket. Eventually, she found Mei in the park around the corner from her house, sitting on the swing. Renee walked silently over and joined her. 

“Not even going to ask if you’re okay, cause you’re clearly not,” Renee began. 

Mei scowled. “No, I’m not. I can’t believe he did that,” she whispered angrily. She got to her feet and began to pace. “He leaves for China for months, tells me that he’s going away for “business,” and then comes back with some new woman and her stupid son!” She yelled. “What the fuck?!” 

Renee nodded. “It was wrong of him to do that,” she acknowledged. 

“More than just wrong! It feels like an utter betrayal!” she yelled. 

Renee nodded again. “You don’t deserve that.” 

“No shit! He promised me that he would never forget her!” she screamed. 

“Forget who?” Renee asked. 

“My mama!” She yelled. “Baba promised me that his love for my mama would be like Chung’e’s love for Hou Yi!” 

Renee raised an eyebrow. “Chung’e? Hou Yi?” 

That was right, not everyone knew of the story of Chung’e and Hou Yi. She paused and held her arms. “When I was younger, my mama used to tell me the story of Chung’e and Hou Yi. China was once plagued with ten suns, causing drought and destruction all over the land. Hou Yi, who was known as the greatest warrior in the land, was able to shoot down nine of the ten suns, making the land cooler. His actions won the heart of Chung’e, who was the most beautiful woman in her village. They were married and lived happily. 

The Queen of the Heavens was so inspired by their love that she came down and offered Hou Yi an elixir that would allow them both to ascend to the heavens. He took it home and had Chung’e hide it for when they were ready. When Hou Yi was out hunting, Pengmeng, the apprentice of Houyi and an evil, evil man, learned of their elixir and went to Chung’e. He demanded that she give him the elixir or he would kill Chung’e and her husband. In a moment of desperation she drank the elixir and began to ascend to the heavens. But she didn’t want to leave her husband so she went to the closest place she could, the moon. And to this day, she waits for Hou Yi to return to her.`` 

“That’s such a sweet story,” Renee said. “So, in a way, you wanted your parents to be like Chung’e and Hou Yi. Love each other forever.” 

Mei nodded and squeezed her arms tightly. “But that’s not going to happen, ever,” she whispered sadly; tears springing to her eyes. 

In the distance, Renee saw Allison leaving the car and approached them both. She looked back to Mei and watched as she slowly got to her knees. Silently, at first, Renee heard a sob protrude from Mei’s lips. Suddenly, Mei burst into tears and buried her face into Renee’s shoulder. Renee gently wrapped her arms around Mei and held her close, allowing her to cry. Soon, Allison joined them, placing a gentle hand on Mei’s back. Both of them could just imagine how hurt and betrayed Mei felt. 

“It’s okay Mei, we’re here for you,” Renee whispered. 

Part 5: The End

Mei’s father was arrested and charged with Child Abandonment the same day that Mei had tried to visit him. A few days later, Mei was temporarily removed from Allison and Renee’s home and relocated to an emergency Foster Home while they were investigated and questioned. Mei was in and out of Family Court for the rest of the Winter season. 

The first trial she needed to attend was her father’s. The Family Court trial lasted several weeks as they interviewed Mei, her father and his new family. During the case her father, and his family, sat on one side of the courtroom. Mei sat on the other side with Jasper and her legal representative. 

The first one to take the stand was her father. 

“Mr. Chen, please explain to the court why you left you abandoned your daughter?” the judge asked. 

“Of course, your honour,” her father replied. “About a year ago I met someone online and we became quite close. I went to China to meet my girlfriend and ask her to marry me. I was only supposed to be gone for a couple of weeks while my fiancé and her son’s visas got processed. But things became a bit more complicated during the process and I was forced to remain there much longer than I had anticipated.” 

“Did you not consider that you had to take care of your daughter?” he asked. “That you had responsibilities?” 

“Yes sir, I attempted to call her several times and tell her that I was going to transfer money in order to pay for bills and in order to help my daughter pay for food and clothes. But, like I said, things got complicated,” he replied. 

Lies, all lies. He never even once attempted to contact her despite her constant texting, phone calls and emails. As he spoke he glanced in Mei’s direction with apologetic eyes. His glance made her uncomfortable and she looked away, as tears welled up in her eyes. 

His new fiancee eventually stood and to explain her side of the story. 

“Your honour,” she began. “My fiance would never intentionally abandon his children. He is a model parent for my son Li. And he constantly spoke highly of his daughter Mei.” 

“Thank you Ms. Zhang but I’m afraid that being a model parent isn’t enough to drop the charges against him,” the judge explained. “Mei, would you like to explain your side of things?” 

When the judge spoke her name Mei could feel her heart pound so heavily that she thought it would explode from her chest. The door opened behind them and the judge peered down his glasses. 

“So sorry we’re late your honour,” a familiar voice said. 

Mei gasped and turned in her seat to find Allison and Renee stepping through the door and taking a seat. Happy tears sprang to her eyes. Even though this wasn’t their case Renee and Allison had come. She smiled and waved to them happily. They waved back and blew kisses. 

She turned back to the judge and wiped her tears away. She took a deep breath and took one last glance at her father. Even though every ounce of her being wanted to be with her father, she knew that they were not meant to be a family. 

“Your honor, my father left without warning and left me with little money, minimal food and clothing that did not suit the weather. On top of that, he made no effort to contact me in any way. I was forced to, not only be responsible for my education and well being, but also had to take on the responsibility of the house,” she explained. “I lied about my age and was forced to take on a job working at a McDonald’s. But that wasn’t enough to keep up with the bills. I was so far behind that our water and electrical was shut off. If it wasn’t for Children’s Aid I don’t think I would have been able to last much longer.” 

The judge nodded. “Thank you Ms. Chen,” he said. 

He turned to Jasper and motioned for him to speak. 

“Thank you, your honor,” Jasper said. He pulled out a file from his bag and cleared his throat. “We were called to Mei Chen’s house in the Spring of last year when her school called us that it looked like Mei was underfed and underclothed. We immediately did a home visit to find that she had been living in a home that was, not only not heated, but was also covered in filth. We attempted to contact her father several times in order to explain the situation. But we could not reach him. With that, we took Mei into our custody and put her in the Foster System upon her father’s return to the country.   
  
“As such, under the Criminal Code, 2019, c. 25, s. 75 it states that Every one who unlawfully abandons or exposes a child who is under the age of ten years, so that its life is or is likely to be endangered or its health is or is likely to be permanently injured, (a) is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years; or(b) is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction,” he continued. “With that I believe that Mei should be legally taken from his custody.” 

“I agree with you,” the judge replied. “Mr. Chen, after what I have heard today, I fine you $125,000 and sentence you to two years in jail. On top of that, I am relinquishing your legal rights over Mei. Court is adjourned.” 

As her father was taken away, his new wife looked angrily at Mei. She felt the woman’s eyes burn into her. She stared anxiously at her lap, her hands clenched into fists. Jasper got to his feet and stood between her and the wife. With Jasper as a shield Mei bravely turned and looked at Renee and Allison. They blew final kisses in her direction before leaving. 

A couple days later Mei attended a second trial in Family Court for Allison and Renee. Because it was Renee and Allison, Mei felt less scared about this trial compared to the one where her father was convicted. Previously, both women had been questioned about the things that led up to the event in question. 

“Ms. Reynolds, Ms. Walker, you both understand why you are here, correct?” the judge asked. 

“Yes your honour,” Renee replied. “Mei was put into our care and we broke the privacy contract that we agreed to with Children’s Aid by allowing her to see her father.” 

“It was explained to you that, for the protection of the child, seeing and interacting with a parent was not allowed. And yet you were willing to allow it. Could you explain why you thought that?” he asked. 

“Your honour, we’ve come to really care about Mei,” Allison said. “We see her, practically, as part of our family. We knew that it wasn’t the best idea to allow her to see her father. But when we saw her disappointment we...just couldn’t bear it. So, we thought that by seeing her father together it would be okay.” 

“Mr. Fanshaw, what do you have to say?” the judge asked, looking at Jasper.   
  
“I have to say that I am disappointed with their lack of judgement. They knew their responsibilities as Foster Parents and completely ignored them,” Jasper explained. “At this point I am tempted to pull their file from our system so that this doesn’t happen again.” 

Those words stung Renee and Allison. They looked at each other sadly. Renee squeezed Allison’s hand. 

“Wait…” Mei said. “May I talk?” 

“Of course, Ms. Chen,” the judge replied. 

“It was my idea, to see my father. Both Renee and Allison thought that it wasn’t a good idea. They only went under my insistence. The entire time, they offered me chances to turn back but I refused,” Mei explained. “Please don’t punish them for my poor judgement. They are the closest thing I have to a family now. Please...I don’t want to leave them.” Tears welled up in her eyes, her hands clenched her pants. 

“Thank you for your explanation Ms. Chen,” the judge said. 

He turned to face Jasper and cleared his throat. “Besides their lack of judgement Jasper, do you have any reason why Allison and Renee should not be able to take Mei back into their custody?” he asked. 

“No, your honour. Renee and Allison are model Foster Parents,” Jasper explained. 

The judge nodded. “Would you be willing to give Renee and Allison a second chance?” 

Jasper glanced between Mei, Allison and Renee and sighed. He puffed out his cheeks. “Well, seeing that we are currently short on Foster Families, I guess I could make one exception. On one condition,” he said. 

“Anything,” Renee said. 

“I will be doing regular visits twice a week for the next little bit to ensure the safety and well being of Mei,” he replied. 

“Of course, we’re more than happy to accept that,” Renee said. 

“Renee and Allison, I clear you of all charges, I wish you the best of luck Mei. Court is adjourned,” he said. 

Mei smiled and rushed to Renee and Allison. She wrapped her arms around them both. Renee and Allison both smiled and wrapped their arms around her back, pulling her close. 

~~

After much paperwork, and juggling, Mei finally was able to move back in with Renee and Allison. And, as they got resettled, she saw Renee and Allison as her family. And more and more, Allison and Renee considered her their own daughter. They finally got into a solid routine. After a long week of work and school, the three of them would settle down for a movie every Friday night. Meanwhile, on Saturday, Allison and Mei would stay in their pyjamas and pamper themselves while they caught up with work. Meanwhile, every Sunday, Renee would rouse Mei up extra early for Church and other Church functions, while Allison went to her weekly yoga classes. And Mei was happy with this routine. 

As Winter slowly turned to Spring, Mei started to join various clubs and extracurricular activities outside of school. One of the activities she picked up was Exy, a sport that she knew Renee and Allison were passionate about. Try-outs for her school team were in late Spring so that they could do an intense training program during the Summer for new recruits. And with her small stature and speed, she was put on the team as a Striker. Even though Allison and Renee had no experience in that position they were still proud of her. 

“Congratulations Mei,” Renee said, giving Mei a hug despite the sweat. 

“You did well out there, we’re so proud of you,” Allison added. 

“What? No hug Allison?” Mei asked. 

“You’re stinky and sweaty, you’re not getting a hug from me until you shower,” Allison replied. 

Mei pouted and sniffed mockingly. She opened up her arms. “Come on Allison, I would love to get a hug from you,” she said. 

“Not a chance. I’m not about to ruin this outfit,” Allison said as she headed for the car. 

Mei laughed, Allison always needed to be the drama queen in the family. With a smile plastered on her face she followed Renee and Allison to the car. She stuffed her equipment into the trunk and collapsed into the back seat. Once everyone was seated, Allison started the car and began the drive home. 

As they drove, Mei couldn’t help but notice Renee reached out and placed her hand in Allison’s lap, squeezing her leg gently. Even though the two were facing away from her, Mei could tell that they were both smiling. It was at this moment that Mei realized that Renee and Allison’s love for each other was eternal and that her love for them was just as eternal. And that it was okay to love someone new. 

She smiled lovingly at them both. “Renee? Allison?” She said. 

“What’s up Mei?” Renee asked. 

“I love you,” Mei replied. 

Allison and Renee glanced at each other happily. “We love you too, Mei. We always will,” Renee said. 


End file.
